Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

CHAP. XVII.
AT that time Honorius, successor to Boniface, was Bishop of the Apostolic see. When he learned
that the nation of the Northumbrians, with their king, had been, by the preaching of Paulinus,
converted to the faith and confession of Christ, he sent the pall to the said Paulinus, and with it
letters of exhortation to King Edwin, with fatherly love inflaming his zeal, to the end that he and
his people should persist in belief of the truth which they had received. The contents of which letter
were as follow:
"To his most noble son, and excellent lord, Edwin king of the Angles, Bishop Honorius, servant
of the servants of God, greeting. The wholeheartedness of your Christian Majesty, in the worship
of your Creator, is so inflamed with the fire of faith, that it shines out far and wide, and, being
reported throughout the world, brings forth plentiful fruits of your labours. For the terms of your
kingship you know to be this, that taught by orthodox preaching the knowledge of your King and
Creator, you believe and worship God, and as far as man is able, pay Him the sincere devotion of
your mind. For what else are we able to offer to our God, but our readiness to worship Him and to
pay Him our vows, persisting in good actions, and confesssing Him the Creator of mankind? And,
therefore, most excellent son, we exhort you with such fatherly love as is meet, to labour to preserve
this gift in every way, by earnest striving and constant prayer, in that the Divine Mercy has
vouchsafed to call you to His grace; to the end that He, Who has been pleased to deliver you from
all errors, and bring you to the knowledge of His name in this present world, may likewise prepare
a place for you in the heavenly country. Employing yourself, therefore, in reading frequently the
works of my lord Gregory, your Evangelist, of apostolic memory, keep before your eyes that love
of his doctrine, which he zealously bestowed for the sake of your souls; that his prayers may exalt
your kingdom and people, and present you faultless before Almighty God. We are preparing with
a willing mind immediately to grant those things which you hoped would be by us ordained for
your bishops, and this we do on account of the sincerity of your faith, which has been made known
to us abundantly in terms of praise by the bearers of these presents. We have sent two palls to the
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The Venerable Bede
Bede's Ecclesiastical History of England

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two metropolitans, Honorius and Paulinus; to the intent, that when either of them shall be called
out of this world to his Creator, the other may, by this authority of ours, substitute another bishop
in his place; which privilege we are induced to grant by the warmth of our love for you, as well as
by reason of the great extent of the provinces which lie between us and you; that we may in all
things support your devotion and likewise satisfy your desires. May God's grace preserve your
Highless in safety!"